The tale of the lost son
by scap3goat
Summary: [ON HOLD No plans to continue yet] The coverversion of a prophecy makes everyone a little bit jumpy. The original prophecy was made a long time ago. But are prophecies always true? And do they lose their truth during the ‘centuries’? 6th year, severit
1. When the times are going to turn

**Author:** scap3goat

**Summary:** The cover-version of a prophecy makes everyone a little bit jumpy. The original prophecy was made a long time ago. But are prophecies always true? And do they lose their truth during the 'centuries'? (th year story, serveritus challenge)

**Rating:** Ow, there is some blood in here, but no heavy stuff. Will PG-13 do it?

**A/N:** The lost son. Yeah, this is what you think it is. Let's rather say, this actually was intended to be what you think it is. But since I wrote this prophecy... well... I got carried away a little bit. So, this is no fluffy "He-is-your-son-Severus" story. The idea of such a story was condemned to die in the beginning when I intended to put in a prophecy in the story from the very first idea I had.

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**The tale of the lost son**

**Chapter 1 – When the times are going to turn...**

Snape hurried down the corridor to his classroom. A loud crowd of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws would fill the usually dignified and calm dungeons.

"Quiet!" he snarled and every mouth in the dim dungeon shut. He let his gaze swept the room and his face darkened. "What is this about? I ought to teach second years Gryffindors and Ravenclaws today?"

"Sir?" asked Draco Malfoy.

"What?" Snape turned to the young man and placed in front of the nasty slim-ball.

"Sir, the timetable changed. It's sixth years Gryffindors and Slytherins this morning."

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy." Snape walked to the blackboard and started to scribble notes on it. He definitely wasn't in a good mood.

Voldemort had kept him occupied with some silly orders all the last two weeks. The potions master felt he had caught a cold outside, and certainly the worst hadn't settled in yet.

He was grumpy. Oh, he was always grumpy, sneering, cutting and grumbling, but now he was unbearable for everyone. He even forgot to favour the Slytherins as much as usual, and he had forgotten to place the Gryffindors at disadvantage completely.

He only took points from Neville who managed to do his potion as wrong as never before.

Harry Potter couldn't say that he disliked the potions master's condition. Everyone who managed to stay silent and out of his way was clearly out of the line of fire.

"Potter!" came the silky and slightly hoarse voice from somewhere behind him.

Of course you still could get hit by a ricochet, yet.

"Yes, sir?"

"Good work. For you actually it is. Go and help Longbottom to clean this mess up."

"Of course, sir."

What a great start to the new term. He had done his potion right! He just knew it. Harry had read through every single potions book in his possession, and not only once.

"One point to Gryffindor for... kindness." Snape spat out in a low voice.

"Now I _do_ believe he is ill!" Ron whispered to Hermione and Harry.

Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry stood up to help Neville as fast as he could. He won't lose that one point he had gotten from Snape right away.

During lunch Harry glanced up to the Head Table to see an even sallower Snape than usual. He even ate less than he usually did.

"What's wrong with him?" Harry asked in a faint voice.

"Haven't you seen him last week at... the headquarters?" asked Hermione.

"You don't have to bypass everything that could remind me of Sirius!"

Ron and Hermione suddenly found their meal very interesting.

"He came to the headquarters once. He was soaked wet by the never-ending rain and mentioned that he had been out there for more than a week and that he perhaps couldn't make it to the first day of terms."

"What is that going to tell us, 'Mione?" asked Ron, confused.

"What's that going to tell us? He surely had no time to change clothing and ran around in wet robe, and what else he's wearing, for two weeks. He caught a cold or the flu or something like that."

"By the way, I don't believe that, even if he have had the time to change, he could have changed anyway, because he seems to just have one set of robes." Harry smirked at Ron's joke but he didn't feel like laughing.

"Hey mate? What's wrong with you? You have changed, not only your looks have improved." Harry nodded slightly and starred down at his plate.

"Well, I don't know, probably. Whatever, 'm feeling fine."

Hermione looked far to concerned at Harry to make him believe that she simply believed that. Harry picked some potatoes on his fork but immediately laid it onto his plate and told them that he had to go to study before Divination.

"This year we are going to speak about the prophecies made during a state of trance. I'm only allowed to put you in a minor trance and so we are not supposed to expect great prophecies but I'm sure it will be enough!"

Harry felt like he already was in a minor trance. The hot air in the tower, the scent of the joss sticks, and the heavy musty fragrance of the loads of cushions made him dizzy.

"Oh, Harry, poor boy. Why don't we start with you? I'm pretty sure we can have at least a tiny prophecy about your future, won't we?"

Trelawney came over and set a bowl of with the glowing ashes of different herbs in front of him. He felt like breathing a thick liquid, like oil. The rich scent wrapped itself around his mind, his thoughts, like a blanket.

"Harry, dear?"

Something strange happened. Harry closed his eyes, his mind emptied and he found himself in an abandoned room. He could feel that his physical mouth opened and in that moment something was scribbled down at the blank walls of the room. He began to read it out loud.

_When the times are going to turn,_

_When the winds of changes are blowing throughout the lands,_

_When the nameless evil is on its peak,_

_And when the boy will be a man,_

_The tale of the lost son will come to an end._

_The spark of believe will be glowing in the dark, _

_Will be lighting the fire of freedom._

_And the unspeakable will burn in the fire of freedom._

_Once there was silence among the disguised ones._

_But one voice will cry out._

_Silenced he will fall to the ground._

_When the times are going to turn,_

_When the winds of changes are blowing throughout the lands,_

_When the nameless evil is on its peak,_

_And when the boy will be a man,_

_The tale of the lost son will come to an end._

_But the guilty world cannot be freed only by the innocent young._

_The deaf ears can only follow the broken voice._

_The blind eyes can only see the shadow._

_The numb hands can only feel the cold skin of his bony hands._

"Harry?" He the blanket around his mind was dragged away. The walls were fading, the word written in blue ink were fading. He had read everything out loud but he felt like he had to do it again to understand what ever he had read.

"No, I have to read it again! I have to understand, it's important! It's important!"

Harry opened his eyes to the known surroundings of the Divination tower.

"Harry!" Trelawney starred at him with surprise. "Harry, you made a prophecy, a true prophecy!"

"I actually don't feel like a made a prophecy. I feel like... uhm... it feels like it was a dream and I can remember at least something I said. That was no prophecy!"

"I know it was a prophecy! Don't you believe I will recognise a prophecy when it's made right in front of my eyes?"

Harry was tempted to answer in the negative when he heard a gasp from some of the students surrounding him.

"What's now? Have I got a huge beetle on my nose?" Some warm fluid ran down his forehead and dropped into his eye. "Oh, shit." He wiped it away and realised it was blood.

"Mate, your scar is bleeding!" Ron told him.

"Get him to the Hospital Wing and I have to talk to the headmaster about that particular event. Shush! You are dismissed, children!"

Apart from some students everyone was quite happy to be dismissed so early.

"Harry, Hospital Wing's around there!" Ron demanded.

"Ron, I don't need any medical care! I need to talk to Dumbledore!"

"He will come around the Hospital Wing if he really thinks it's important to talk about that!" Since when was Ron so sensible and damn logical?

"Alright mate. But for the record, I did protest."

"Alright mate, and now move your arse down this corridor!"

Severus Snape was about to do something he hadn't done quite a long time. He was on his way to the Hospital Wing to fetch some potions against his cold. He was pretty sure he had had at least half a dozen potions vials of it down in his dungeons at the end of last term. Now every single one of it was untraceable.

"Be careful, stupid!" he sneered at the boy he ran into. "Can't you look out where are you going?" He looked up and saw Potters face. "Pray tell, how did you manage to do this to yourself? Or did Weasley do it?" Snape looked over to the redhead.

Harry looked at his teacher with surprise.

"You may not have noticed it, but the left half of your face is covered with blood."

"So bad already?" Harry pressed his hand to his scar which began to hurt.

"Hospital Wing." Snape told the boy and pulled him by the sleeve of his robes towards the Hospital Wing.

Where does he believe we were going to, anyway?

"What happened, Potter?" Snape asked again.

"We were in Divination."

"Divination? They were not trying to read your fortune out of the trickles of blood on your face, were they?" Harry smiled.

"No, we were trying to make prophecies in trance." Ron answered for Harry. "Harry managed to do it."

Snape stopped so abrupt that Harry almost ran into him.

"Potter?" The potions master searched for answers in the boys face.

"Well, everyone tells me that I made a true prophecy but I only... I do remember what happened, what I said and so on. Normally you don't remember your prophecies, do you?"

"What happened, Potter? Details!"

"I... I felt tired when Trela... Professor Trelawney put that bowl of burned herbs in front of me and when I closed my eyes I stood in a room, an empty room with four walls. Suddenly words were scribbled down on the walls by some unseen hand. I just read them out aloud." Snape looked at Harry, the older wizard's expression unreadable.

"What did you read out?" Harry found it hard to concentrate on the word while his scar began to hurt even more.

"About... the end of a tale, fire of freedom, the voice of truth falling silenced on the ground, the guilty world listening to the broken voice... such weird stuff."

Snape grasped Potters sleeve again and dragged him to the Hospital Wing.

"Snape!? What did you do to the boy?" asked Madam Pomfrey with dismay when she saw the blood-covered face of the boy.

"He didn't do nothing to me, we met outside. This bleeding happens to be some kind of... aftermath to the... trance in Divination."

"Divination? Trance? Not very likely!"

"The boy made a prophecy." Madam Pomfrey gasped with horror in her eyes.

Well, you were very unlikely to hear those words from the all too logic potions master.

"My scar hurts." Madam Pomfrey would wipe off the blood but the scar didn't stop bleeding.

"I can give you a painkiller."

"Please." The nurse handed the boy a potion vial.

"Drink it at once." Harry did as he was ordered.

Dumbledore entered the Hospital Wing, McGonagall and Trelawney following him.

"Ah, our little prophet. How are you doing Harry?"

Harry just nodded and smiled at the shocked expressions on the teachers' faces. Still blood was running down his face in faint trickles.

"Harry, I brought a Pensive. Do you believe you could just take out that memory from the moment when you made the prophecy?"

"I think I would do it, but I have no clue how to do it." Harry answered.

"Just close your eyes and concentrate on the beginning of the memory and than drag it out of your mind with your wand. When the memory ended just imagine cutting off the stream of memories."

Harry closed his eyes and tried hard. It took him several moments until he managed to extract the right memory.

"May we look into your memory?" Dumbledore asked and Harry nodded with agreement. McGonagall showed her scepticism, and Harry did that, too. He couldn't have made a prophecy. No one in his family had the gift. Or so he believed.

The teachers, the nurse and the two boys touched the surface of the fluid in the Pensive with the tips of their wands and Harry found himself among the others in the room where he had seen the words written on the walls. Luckily this room was big, really big. In the centre a young man was standing, starring at the walls. Harry began to read out the words which were once again written on the walls. The others around him gasped with surprise.

The memory ended soon and they found themselves in the hospital wing again.

"That actually was a prophecy, though... it already was made a long time ago by someone else." Dumbledore explained. "I think I owe you some explanations."

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So, what do you think about this so far? I don't know if I should go on with it, just review, please!

I know, some of you might already guess to whom some of the parts of the prophecy refer to. (I just want to know how obvious all this is!)

So... let's take a poll here:

**In your opinion, to whom or what do these parts of the prophecy refer to?**

1."...the unspeakable will burn in the fire of freedom..."

2."... once there was silence among the disguised ones, but one voice will cry out..."

3."...silenced he will fall to the ground..."

4."...the blind eyes can only see the shadow..."

5."...the numb hands can only feel the cold skin of his bony hands..."

I'm very interested in your answers, so please review!


	2. How to deal with a ill teacher

**A/N:** I am very grateful for your reviews. I'm rather surprised that some of you thought that this whole prophecy is about Voldie-Moldy. I will answer some of the questions on the bottom of this chapter and I will add another question.

I don't think it will take more than two weeks until I update, but be merciful 'coz I'm deeply in my schoolwork again. Is anybody out there to explain Physics or Maths or Chemistry to me?

**Lady Nicole Malfoy-Potter:** Thanks for that.

**ickle yoda: **Nice answers, indeed!

**red rose:** I did, as you see!

**wwwendy:** I hope you will enjoy this. But not the whole prophecy refers to Voldie-Moldy.

**PreciousLily:** I'm not sure about the fact whether Harry made the prophecy or not. But I'm happy you like it!

**Geloalto:** Ich mache ja weiter... es dauert nur vll. etwas!

**loony lovegood:** Alright, I continue! ;)

**ShadowedHand:** Thanks, I hope you will read on.

**Lord Localfreak:** Nice answers, but not quite.

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**Chapter 2 – How to deal with a ill teacher**

News got around the school within almost no time, especially when they were connected to the sudden disappearance of McGonagall from her Transfigurations class in the afternoon.

But there were some things only few knew about. Only five people, six if you would count Dumbledore, knew about the prophecy _and_ its origin.

It was out of question that the prophecy was made by Harry. But the prophecy already existed. This first one had been made a long time ago and it had been seen in a quite different context.

Still, there was _something_ that about this prophecy annoyed Harry.

Harry stood up and ran his hand through his hair. His hair had grown over the summer and it still was growing. It was already beyond his ears and hung in wild strands. And the rest of Harry had started to grow as well.

Harry finally had started growing up.

Hermione and Ron had told him not only once, but over and over again. Harry didn't believe it. He was sixteen, and people didn't suddenly start to grow up when they became sixteen.

On the other hand Harry couldn't deny he was happy about this changes, though he believed that those changes had started before his birthday that was only little more than one month ago.

"Come on, handsome!" Ron shouted.

"I'll be right there, Ron!" He changed into his school uniform and his robes and fetched his schoolbag.

"There you are. I almost thought we might need to send a search party."

Harry hit Ron with his elbow in the side.

"Let's get going. Or do the two of you want to skip breakfast?" asked Hermione and they left for the Great Hall with some other Gryffindors.

"So Harry, tell us what Dumbledore said about the prophecy." Even Hermione was interested in this prophecy since she knew that Harry wouldn't have faked that.

"Nothing. He just mentioned that the prophecy was made a long time ago... fifty years or something. After the fall of Grindelwald everybody thought it had been about him, but now... it's of course Voldemort, isn't it?"

"Well... the nameless could refer to... you know?" Hermione suspected.

"Very well... no one would have figured that one out, would they?" answered Ron sarcastically. "I'm interested in the meaning of the rest!"

"Well, we know what that prophecy's _obviously_ about and that is enough, isn't it?" Harry asked.

"I wonder... it talks about _him_ being defeated. Burned or something?"

"Right Ron. If you wouldn't mind and talk a little bit louder even Professor Snape at the far side of the hall would be able to overhear you!" Hermione hissed at the redhead.

"Sorry. But the boy that will be a man... that's about Harry, isn't it? He changed a lot and still is changing."

"Don't be silly! This prophecy might seem to fit perfect to this situation. But what would you say if there was someone whose name isn't known by anybody? He or she would be nameless, too." Harry complained.

"Harry, mate! Disguised ones, nameless, that's all referring to _him_!"

"Harry, he is right!" Hermione threw in.

"But what's that stuff about a lost son? The guilty world cannot be freed by the innocent young. If this prophecy is referring to me it says that I cannot free the world. I would need help. This other prophecy said that I am the only one capable of defeating Voldemort. At least I am the one who would withstand him more than just seconds. And... have any of you heard about someone making prophecies about themselves? Guess not."

"Harry's got a point. Even I couldn't figure out about this lost son. Besides that story from the bible, there is nothing, and that's not going to help us in any way."

"Let's stop complaining and head off for Herbology! Or Professor Sprout will decapitate us." Harry finished his toast and the two other Gryffindors starred at him.

"I do not believe that she would treat us that harsh. Remember, she is the Herbology teacher, not Professor You-Know-Who!" Harry rolled his eyes. He and Hermione had made Ron to refer to Voldemort as 'him' but only to find themselves in situations when Ron often was referring to Snape as 'You-Know-Who'.

"Get moving, moron!" Harry growled and left the Great Hall with the piercing feeling of a certain professor's gaze in his back.

---

With his seven inches of additional height Harry now was above the average height and could look over the heads of the crowd. Harry Potter wasn't the little cute child anymore - he rather was the tall, dark, handsome young man. And sometimes a stranger.

"So, please listen! These lilies aren't any different from the average lilies when you look at them now. But during the full moon they will become a great source of strength. But be careful. ONE single bit is able to kill you, no matter in which state they are. After a full moon and the milking they won't be as poisonous but still are a threat to the lives of the small and frail ones among you. Put on your gloves and each one takes care of one lily."

Harry was looking around while putting his gloves on. Everyone was heading for one of those lilies, which already seemed to be have been taken care of, but Harry spotted a rather small lily in the edge. He fetched the pot and settled himself in a less crowed place in the greenhouse.

"How are you doing?" he muttered to the plant.

"Hey, look, Potter's talking to a plant! First snakes, now a plant. What will come next?"

"Be careful, Malfoy! I could try and talk to you?!" Malfoy didn't know what to reply and so left.

"Good work, mate! But be careful!"

"I know. I won't let myself getting bite by this little plant." Harry responded while watering his lily.

"I'm not talking 'bout those. I'm talking about Malfoy and his lackeys."

"Ron, how stupid do you think I am? I'm not going to provoke Malfoy, nor his lackeys. I'm just giving proper answers to his questions."

"Mate, I don't like the way you are talking lately. Where is my mate with the humour and so on? You got colder!" The young redhead searched for answers in Harry's eyes.

"Ron, I cannot stay a child forever. One day I have to be a man and I will have to shoulder an even greater burden than now."

"That's silly, mate! Just try and get a long well as long as you still can!"

"Ron, I have changed! And I do like it. I'm much more aware of everything right now!"

"Harry! I don't want to loose you friendship!"

"I don't want to loose yours either. I'm just... changing. I feel different and I don't feel like I have to hide my attitude towards Malfoy any longer."

"You never did that, did you?" Ron looked at his friend with surprise.

"Sometimes I did. But I'm not afraid of him any longer. Don't know why, I just... let's drop that. I think we have some job to do, don't we?"

Ron nodded and turned his own lily. "You don't expect me to talk to my plant, do you?"

---

Every student in the dungeon was quiet. The sever potions master stood in front of the blackboard and from time to time a cough escaped his throat.

"It's important to let the potion cool down for five minutes before you add the crunched Dragon Horn."

His voice was not much more than a hoarse whisper and it sounded rather funny, but no one dared to say something or to even laugh.

"As you see..." Severus coughed hard and everyone wondered why he hadn't mixed a potion against this cold. "The potion should have a bright... auburn colour. If it has a darker or a red colour, you just stay back and... just stay back."

A terrible headache made it hard for Snape to concentrate. His throat was sore and ached, his head was dull and ached, there was a draught in his stomach and – guess what – it ached terribly. In short: His entire body ached.

As a consequence he dismissed the class without giving them homework. He just couldn't bear to correct essays written by students with no idea of grammar and spelling.

And three days had passed since the start of the school year and he hadn't given detentions once. He just needed the evenings to get early into bed and sleeping until some house elf would come and telling him that he was almost late for breakfast.

"Ow... to hell with them. Why me? Why had I to run around the woods for weeks without any proper meal or sleeping accommodation? I've got the flu and all those brats are flooding the school with their germs. No wonder that I am seriously ill!" he muttered under his breath. "I hope the weekend will come soon!"

Usually Snape was anything but yielding, but the circumstances would have broken any great man. And so there was nothing left for Snape, but to take a potion vial with some painkiller from the shelf and counting the minutes until the weekend.

---

Harry looked forward to Friday afternoon. There were no lessons on Friday afternoon and so he could walk off to see Hagrid or he could sit in the dormitory, the common room or somewhere on the grounds. And Quidditch practise took place Friday afternoon before dinner. His lifetime bane was lifted after Umbridge had left the school and so he would be Gryffindors' seeker again.

Still, he wondered where his Firebolt was. Thank goodness, even this mystery was solved without any effort. On Thursday he went up to the dormitory after dinner and a long parcel had been place on his bed. The paper was torn apart soon and Harry gazed at his Firebolt. A simple note was attached.

_I'm sure you can and will use it. In the memory of your godfather._

"No signature?" Harry starred at the plain, lean and somehow familiar letters. It wasn't Dumbledore's handwriting and the note was too short to be written by McGonagall. Let alone she would have given the broom to him personally.

"Something wrong up there?"

"No, Ron, I'm fine." Harry heard the footsteps on the stair and Ron stopped in front of the door.

"You said you would be down in the common room in no time!"

Harry starred on the note again. Who had given the broom to him?

"Harry? No matter if you are naked or anything else, I'm coming in!"

Ron stepped in the room and after some seconds he realised what was lying on Harry's bed.

"Wow! Who gave it back to you?" Ron touched the broom with his fingertips and starred at Harry.

"No idea. Here, the note says that I should use it and that... I should use it in the memory of... Sirius." Ron starred at the note with the same confusion Harry felt.

"That's not from Dumbledore."

"Right. And McGonagall would have given it to me personally with the order to win the Quidditch Cup."

"No doubts about that. Let's take it to Hermione. Perhaps she knows the handwriting?"

"It's worth a try, isn't it?"

But even Hermione had to pass. "Put this aside and start with your homework!"

Harry and Ron nodded and looked down at their rather short list of homework.

They had been dismissed from Divination early and Snape gave no homework.

"Have you realised that we had no Defence against the Dark Arts, yet?"

"Of course we have, Harry!" Hermione answered without looking at him. "I guess that's due to the fact that there hasn't any teacher showed up until now."

"That doesn't mean that Snape will get the job, will he?" Ron asked with fear.

"No, he's already hardly capable to 'teach' potions right now. He clearly cannot teach DADA within the next month or even longer." Harry tried to calm his friend and the essay for History of Magic lay finished in front of him. "Would the two of you excuse me? I need to catch some sleep, I feel weary."

"Good night, mate!"

"Night, Harry." Hermione answered automatically, still deep within her runes book.

"Night Ron, Hermione."

Harry walked up to the still empty dormitory, cleaned up the mess on his bed, changed into his Pyjamas and laid down to sleep.

"_The numb hands can only feel the cold skin of his bony hands."_

_Harry gazed at the back of the young man standing in the middle of the room who just had ended the prophecy._

"_Who are you?" Harry asked in a hoarse voice._

_The young man turned with a smile on his lips and Harry felt like the room began spinning around him. He knew that he ought to look in his own face but this was someone different._

"_I am Harry Potter, nice to meet you!"_

_Harry stumbled backwards. Somehow this was scaring him._

"_No, you cannot be Harry Potter! I am Harry Potter, you are not me!"_

"_Let's put it around, perhaps you are not me?" Harry starred at this man – Harry guessed he was in his early twenties - with dismay._

_He claimed to be Harry Potter, they both did. But who was right?_

"_Who am I? I mean, if I'm not Harry Potter...?" Harry asked._

"_I don't know. But perhaps you are Harry Potter and I am Harry Potter? Would it make any difference?"_

"_Who are you? I don't mean your name! I just want to know who you are!"_

"_I am myself." _

_Harry snorted at this answer._

"_I am myself, too. But... you cannot be me, can you?"_

"_I don't know who you are. I'm just myself. And you are yourself."_

Harry woke with his heart beating like he had run for miles. This could not be true. Was this Voldemort's new strategy? But Harry's scar didn't hurt.

"Hey mate, anything wrong?" Ron sat up and looked over to Harry's bed.

"Ah, just a nightmare, don't worry."

"The last nightmares of yours I had to worry about!"

Harry blamed himself for his inaccurately answer.

"Shut up, Ron. Go to sleep again!"

But Ron didn't. He stood up and walked over to Harry.

"Mate, you really need to talk! We can keep this or I'll go and wake McGonagall or even Hermione!"

"Great Mr. Blackmail, let's get down to the common room. I don't want to wake the others."

-

"So... you dreamed you where in this room in your mind again. Did you read the prophecy once again?"

"I told you that there was someone else. But he claimed to be me. Well, he claimed to be Harry Potter."

Ron looked confused at Harry. "You don't understand, do you? It's just that I don't understand anything!"

"You are sure it wasn't the one how had made the prophecy in the first?"

"Ron, he claimed to be me!" Harry stood up and paced through the room.

"You already mentioned that."

"But you just don't seem to get it, though! This wasn't anyone from a past time. Besides that the prophecy was made by a woman."

"Well, than it was made by a woman, who cares? You saw some stranger and that's all. Let's go to sleep again!"

"Who had this silly idea to talk about things in the first? Wasn't me!" Harry just dropped in one of the armchairs. "Go to bed, Ron. I will stay a little bit and stare into the flames."

"Whatever mate. But don't blame me in the end. Good night."

"Sleep well." Harry gazed at the orange flames and fell asleep soon.

---

"Are you sure that he told you he was Harry Potter?"

"Yes Hermione! He introduced himself as Harry Potter BEFORE I even had the chance to introduce myself."

"Alright, we finally got that!" Ron answered.

"It took you some hours, didn't it?"

Harry had a look around. Still, he was in the bright Gryffindor common room, only short after lunch. Only few students were in Gryffindor tower and some only to fetch books or potion ingredients or may be some piece of homework. A fire burned in the fireplace but a charm prevented it from radiating too much heat. Basically Gryffindor tower was a bright place, a place of joy, a place to call home. Basically...

Harry missed something about it. He could not name it, he wasn't even fully aware of this feeling. He just felt slightly uneasy from time to time.

"Harry? Harry! What's wrong with you?"

"I miss it," he answered.

"Mate? What do you miss?" Ron looked at his best friend with worry.

Harry looked at them with surprise. Their faces showed surprise, wonder and discomfort.

"I... don't know, just something or even nothing. Let's drop this topic."

"Yeah, we should! You know, it is double Potions right now in ten minutes!"

"I beg you pardon?" Harry starred at Ron with horror. He was still asleep, this was just another nightmare.

"We have double potions this afternoon, Harry!" Hermione smiled at him in order to comfort him a little bit. No students truly liked potions, since everyone hated the potions master and vice-versa. But Snape didn't hate Harry. Snape loathed him with every fibre of his body.

"But... today is Friday, Hermione! We ought to have Friday afternoon off!"

"Sorry Harry. But it's just an exception."

Harry wasn't comfortable with that. He wanted to wander around the grounds, to just be from time to time and now he had to spend half of his afternoon in the dungeons.

"Great! I'm going to kill the one responsible for this!"

-

"I'm going to kill Dumbledore! Why me? I deserve to have a peaceful Friday afternoon and now? Those brats... and Potter!"

Severus gathered some ingredients from a shelf and placed them on this desk. He had decided that each of the students should fetch one ingredient and mix a potion with this one. There would be only five minutes until his dungeons would be overrun by noisy students with nothing but nonsense on their minds.

"Quite!" he shouted as loud as a hoarse man could manage. "Everyone of you will come to my desk and fetch a vial with some ingredient. You ought to mix a potion with this ingredient!"

It would have taken almost an hour for the hardly twenty students to select one vial so Snape decided to hand out the vials by himself. He did not care who got what ingredient, he just wanted to sit down again and to wait until lesson ended by itself.

-

Harry starred at his vial.

"Dried stonelouse," he read out.

"Is it petrified or what?" Ron asked, a vial of dried and grinded mandrake root in his hand.

"No Ron, that's its name! Stonelouse. Although I never read anything else about it."

"It's eating stones. I don't know how that's supposed to work but it lives on stones. I saw some potion in the book, let's go to work!"

Harry had opened his book and read out the recipe of the potion. Soon he was deep in his work, walked over to the ingredient shelves and took everything he needed.

Everyone was already cleaning up when Harry still was working on his potion.

"Potter! Finish that, I need a weekend to recover from you and my weekend is about to start in five minutes from now! And I still want you to test your potion."

Harry looked at the instructions with horror.

"Sir. The potion isn't finished by now... it will take four weeks until one can use it!"

"Four weeks? Potter what...? Veritasvidi?" Snape starred at the recipe.

"Sir, it was the only one which required dried stonelouse!"

"Pray tell, stonelouse?" Snape looked dazed and he clearly had fever.

"You didn't... intend to give it to me? I thought wanted me to make a fool of myself?"

"Bottle it up and we will test it in four weeks then!"

Harry nodded and left with a faint smile on his lips. Snape was more bearable to Harry while he was ill.

-

"Veritasvidi? What the hell is that?" Ron looked stunned at Harry while they were marching to the Quidditch pitch.

"It makes you see behind glamouries or anything similar to that."

"Damn it, you've really read the POTIONS book? What OWL did you have in potions again?"

Harry stopped. OWLs. He completely had forgotten about the OWLs! He had been to busy with his self-pity during the summer to think of his OWLs and now he suddenly recognized that he was completely clueless about his OWLs.

"I don't know! I never received any letter or something similar?"

"The letter is sent to your guardian. You are underage and they cannot send this official letters to you, you know?"

"The DURSLEYS have my OWLs letter? Went everyone the ministry completely insane? Sorry, I don't mean your father!"

"Calm down mate! As far as I know they will send it to your magical guardian which... well, I guess Dumbledore is your magical guardian."

"But why hasn't he...? Ron, please tell me something..." Harry looked very concerned.

"Sure, I'll try..." Ron answered wiry.

"Do you think I could be that bad that they didn't even bother to send a letter?"

Ron laughed hard. "Oh Harry!"

"Well, I don't see anything funny with this!"

After some minutes when Ron had calmed down as much as possible (the corners of his mouth were still twitching) and was able to answer his best friend's question.

"Harry, not even Neville could be THAT bad, no one could be THAT bad that they would not have passed in any subject!"

"But I have not received any letter, not from Dumbledore and certainly not from the ministry."

"Don't worry, mate! Perhaps he just forgot about it. There is much to do for a headmaster. Don't worry, mate!" Harry nodded and continued his way to the Quidditch pitch.

-

Everyone was exhausted after two hours of training and so was Harry but he also was merrily happy about almost everything. The sun set in the west and illuminated the scenery with its red glow. Harry had been very excited by sunsets all his life but this one was nearly incredible perfect. While the others walked towards the castle, Harry hurried up to one of the stands and took a closer view over the scenery.

Suddenly he remembered that he held a broom in his hands and with some 'I'm-an-unimaginable-idiot' smile on his lips he took off.

To fly was just an incredible feeling. And to fly without any purpose was just even better.

He flew over the pitch and over the grounds, chasing birds, enjoying the cool wind.

Suddenly he saw a black figure heading from Hagrid's hut to the castle again.

What did Snape do outside when he was ill?

Harry couldn't hear anything from the professor but the git made his orders damn clear with his gestures. So Harry decided that he would have to obey and landed on the meadow. Snape was really upset and almost ran over to the boy.

"What are you doing?" he cried as loud as his voice allowed. It seemed like he already had to scream to cover the ten foot distance between them. "Why are you flying around?"

"Quidditch practice sir. I just thought I would have to practice a little bit with my broom."

"But you are not supposed to fly around the grounds! I didn't give that to you so you could risk your life again!" Snape snatched the broom from Harry's hands with a sudden movement and glared at the boy as impressible as he could with a reddened nose and bloodshot eyes.

"You? You gave the broom back to me?"

"Of course I did! Didn't you recognize my handwriting?"

"Perhaps I did... but the thing you wrote about... um... Sirius."

"He was a moron, indeed. But at least that didn't rub off on you _too much_, did it? Get back to the castle."

Harry followed the potions master to the castle, got some points subtracted and without a word Snape handed the broom back to Harry.

-

"I don't understand that, do any of you do?"

"Harry, he isn't feeling well!" Hermione tried to explain the potions master uncommon behaviour.

"Normally he would have expelled me for this. But he just subtracted ten points and even gave my broom back to me! Something's utterly wrong, or is this just me?"

"Possibly," Ron answered and Hermione grinned widely.

* * *

1."...the unspeakable will burn in the fire of freedom..."

Well, seems like I could not get that past you, could I? Of course 'unspeakable' refers to You-Know-Who. Another thing is, that he will be... aw... I'm not going to reveal this by now! smirk

2. "...once there was silence among the disguised ones, but one voice will cry out..."

No answer to that so far... only one thing, disguised means the Death Eaters, yes.

3. "...silenced he will fall to the ground..."

Silenced could mean stunned, or perhaps even dead? You will find out later.

4. "...the blind eyes can only see the shadow..."

**Not** Voldie-Moldy.

5. "...the numb hands can only feel the cold skin of his bony hands..."

**Not** Voldie-Moldy either.

The new question:

What do you think 'the tale of the lost son' (the one from the prophecy) is about? I only will accept answers with an idea in it. Not only: "Snapey is Harry's father. End of the story." ;)


	3. When the boy will be a man part I

**A/N:** This chapter is rather short, but I promise that I will write a lot soon. I'll have two weeks of autumn holidays in 9 days and god knows I need them! _sigh_

But until then I'll have the pleasure (no kidding, I swear!) to write an English test tomorrow. Hey, I just love English and I hope to take advanced classes next year.

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**rosiegirl** – Soon enough? ;) I'll be updating soon enough, I hope!

**MirreZ** – You like where I take the story? I think I should thank you for that, but honestly I don't know where I take the story!

**lillinfields** – I do love him in this condition, too. I just imagined a ill Severus and that's where the idea went. I don't think they will bond over this but there will be something.

**Jack Wilde** – I'm sorry to disappoint you but that's not quite how the story will turn out. But I'm not sure about the part with the lost son, yet.

**ShadowedHand** – Sorry to disappoint you, but I promise the next chapter will be longer. I just don't have the time or the ideas to write more than that by now. You just wouldn't believe how many test we are writing in school now.

**moonypadfoot** – Not to bad that guess, I guess. I'm not sure about the lost son, yet. I think I need a little bit of an inspiration.

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**Chapter 3 – When the boy will be a man; part I**

Harry woke and when he realised what day it was he just turned over and hoped to fall asleep again.

"Harry! Stand up! You know which day it is!"

"Of course I do. And because of that I'll stay in bed!" he mumbled from under the blankets. "You cannot do anything to get me out of here!"

It remained silent, it was far too silent. Slowly Harry sat up and looked into Ron's wide grin.

"Now stand up and get dressed! We have to be at the pitch in about an hour."

"Of course, sir," mumbled Harry and put his feet onto the cold stone floor. "First Quidditch match of the year against Slytherin. I'm sure I will regret that I got up!"

He didn't know by now, but he certainly would curse the day before even lunchtime.

-

"Harry, what are you doing? Great Hall is over there!" Ron explained when his best friend took a wrong turning.

"But I'm heading to the dungeons, Ron!" explained Harry.

"Don't tell me you are going to see Snape?! Do you want to kill yourself?"

"He told me to come to his office today to test this potion I brewed four weeks ago."

"Are you serious? He could have poisoned it in order to kill you and make it look like an accident!"

Professor Snape had recovered during the last four weeks but he still was grumpier than usual.

"If I don't show up in the next forty minutes you can come down and feel free to curse him," smirked Harry and continued on his way.

-

Severus felt weak in the mornings and his head usually still ached. He felt like just staying in bed but he was expected to attend the season's first Quidditch match.

Unfortunately it was between Gryffindor and Slytherin. He was very well aware that there was no chance for Malfoy to overtrump Potter by any legal capabilities, nor was the rest of the team barely able to beat Gryffindor's last years spare team.

"Why me?" he asked in a hoarse voice and got up.

He was hardly finished with dressing when someone knocked on his office door.

"Come in if you cannot avoid it," Snape shouted and made his way to his office.

"I came to test the potion as you told me, sir," explained Potter kindly.

"I know why you are here. Hang on a minute."

Snape walked over to a shelf and fetched a neatly labelled vial.

"Here, drink the whole dose at once."

Harry did as he was told and felt as if his stomach froze from inside.

"Any differences?"

"No sir. I do not feel any different from usual."

Snape looked as if this wasn't any news to him. "I would say 'Acceptable' since you didn't kill yourself with this. Still, ten points from Gryffindor. You are dismissed."

Harry stood up and left the office immediately. A look at his watch told him that there was no time for breakfast and so he ran to the locker room. He was definitely late, only fifteen minutes left, fourteen, now thirteen...

He dressed as fast as he could and left it to Ron to explain their tactic for this game: Scoring as often and as fast as they could, while Harry tried to catch the snitch as soon as possible.

"To put it in a nutshell: We have to take the Slytherins by surprise since we will end up beaten and bruised in the hospital wing if they have time to deliberate what's going on!"

Everyone nodded and Harry had another look around. They were good. Hell, the team was extraordinary this year!

Ron was the keeper, Harry seeker, Ginny and two third years were chasers and the Creevy brothers were beaters.

"Mates, they cannot beat us with any legal tactics!" Harry affirmed and smiled. "And they will be too surprised to try it with the illegal tactics! Let's go out and fight!"

-

Gryffindors strategy was perfect. After only six minutes they were ahead with forty points. The Slytherins became angry and furious. One of their beaters became so angry that he aimed at Harry who was only a few feet away. Harry turned at the very moment and the bludger hit him on the nose.

"Shit!" he muttered and put away his broken glasses. At least he was able to see something through the veil of tears, blood and sweat. Pure adrenalin was pumped through his veins and so Harry managed to stay on his broom.

"That was an attack!" roared Dean Thomas, the new telecaster. "Why isn't he punished?"

Harry shook his head with amusement. Dean wasn't used to Quidditch as much as he was used to football.

Suddenly a golden glitter caught Harry's attention. Malfoy followed Harry's gaze and headed for the snitch as well. The Slytherins followed the match between the two seekers and Gryffindor scored once again. Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and of course the Gryffindors screamed with triumph when Harry closed his fingers around the snitch only some seconds later.

A sudden pain hit him. His head felt like it would burst, his arms and legs ached as if they were torn apart. He gasped noiseless and clutched the snitch hard in his hand.

Then he fell.

-

"Potter caught the snitch, he caught it! Gryffindor won 200 to 0. But what's wrong with Potter? No, he is falling!"

Harry felt the dull pain when he hit the ground and welcomed the soothing relieve of unconsciousness.

-

The teachers ran down to Potter. His arms lay across his face, the snitch still imprisoned by his fingers. Snape knelt down besides Harry with Dumbledore. The headmaster uncovered the boy's face and everyone around gasped.

"What happened?" asked McGonagall carefully.

"I don't know Minerva!" confessed Dumbledore. "But I have a vague idea!"

Hermione and Ron approached with the rest of Gryffindors Quidditch Team.

"What's wrong with Harry?" asked Hermione hysterical.

Dumbledore let them pass and they gasped.

They boy, he was rather a young man, laying on the ground in front of them had only few resemblances with the boy known as Harry Potter.

"Harry?" whispered Hermione. "What has happened?"

----

I'm very sorry for that short chapter, but I hope to update during weekend. I just had now time the last weekend.


	4. When the boy will be a man part II

**Disclaimer:** No other than JKR. And I'd never dare to steal her characters or her story. I'm just borrowing them and I do not make any money.

**A/N:** Sorry that it took me so long to update... but school is hell... Answers to reviews can be found at the bottom.

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**Chapter 4 – When the boy will be a man… part II**

They brought him to the hospital ward where a furious Madam Pomfrey took care of the still unconscious boy. When she finally was finished

"Enervate!"

---

Harry stirred and but he did not try to open his eyes. He knew that the bright light would cause him an unbelievable headache. He heard muffled voices.

"It's a wonder that he has no server injuries. I'm already glad that he is still alive."

"Almost thirty foot!" threw someone in.

"I'm wondering about the changes."

"Yeah, he caught the snitch without his glasses!"

"He grew three inches in about no time. I'm surprised he survived that!" exclaimed Madam Pomfrey.

"So - I'm not dead?" croaked Harry. He was surprised by the sound of his voice – it was different. He tried to open his eyes and saw Madam Pomfrey, Dumbledore, Hermione and Ron bended over the bed.

"Harry!" shouted Hermione.

"Yeah – I believe that was my name, wasn't it? Oh, my head…"

"Oh boy, what did you think? Falling of a broom and believing that you head wouldn't ache after the impact?"

"Almost thirty foot!" threw Ron in. Harry smiled and noticed the strange expressions on every face.

"What happened?" asked Harry but none answered.

"I mean, what happened after that Bludger his my nose and what happened after I caught the Snitch?"

Ron began to explain: "That stupid Bludger hit you on the nose and crushed your glasses. When your nose started to bleed like hell you simply pressed your right forearm against your face to stop the bleeding. You looked up and headed somewhere. When you threw your hand up with triumph we knew that you had caught the Snitch. In the same moment you gasped and fell off your broom. You hit the ground with full force."

"But that…" began Harry.

"About thirty foot, my dear!" answered Dumbledore.

"I should be dead by now, shouldn't I?"

"Harry, there are more important issues than your excellent survival instinct and your enormous luck!" replied Hermione.

Harry sat up and starred at the crowd surrounding him. "What happened?"

"Harry, you changed rather dramatically!" answered Ron.

Hermione finally reacted when Harry glared at her and handed him a mirror. He starred at his reflection and laughed gruffly. "Nice joke, 'Mione."

"Harry?" asked Hermione anxiously.

"Tell me, how did you hex the mirror? That's a great trick!"

"Harry, this mirror was not hexed. It shows you nothing but yourself."

"That's bullshit! I cannot look like this!"

Everyone starred at Harry, except from Snape. Snape was starring at the floor.

"What are you talking about, boy?" asked McGonagall.

"I'm… I look like… I…!" Harry caught sight of Snape and began to shout at him. "YOU did that! YOU switched the potions. Because you hate me. Because you hated my father!"

"No," replied the potions master calm.

"No what? No you didn't switch the potions, no you don't hate me, no you didn't hate my father? What?"

"I did not switch the potion. And everything else is none of your business!"

"LIAR!" screamed Harry.

In the very moment the door opened and Remus Lupin entered the hospital ward.

"I heard what happened to you, Harry!" he said and approached to the bed. "I just had arrived when Professor Flitwick told me!"

Harry looked up at his godfather's best friend, the last surviving marauder.

"That's nothing," explained Harry, pretending to be utterly calm inside and outside.

"I hope you have put aside some of the potion I brewed for you some weeks ago?" asked Snape. Lupin turned and looked bewildered.

"I already drank it, but what's the matter with the wolfsbane potion?"

"Well, I just ran out of my supplies of dried stonelouse. As you know it's one of the basic ingredients."

"Severus, if you are trying to tell me something, then do it!"

"I was about to tell you, Lupin. About eight weeks ago I ordered new dried stonelouse and I believed that my supplies held enough stonelouse for the ten to eleven weeks it would need until my order would arrive. Unfortunately I made a mistake and handed the last vial of stonelouse to Potter, who arrogantly refused to tell me and just tried to brew a Veritasvidi."

Everyone around gasped and Snape's lips curled with the sweet victory.

"You see what it did to him! Oh, of course I did test it before I made him test it, clearly not poisonous. But obviously it failed to work as it ought to be."

Lupin looked at Harry with surprise.

"Severus, have you still something of Harry's potion?"

"Sure. I had no time to get rid of the last vials."

"Bring one up here. I want to test it!"

Snape snorted and walked of for his office. Perhaps he should try and not return?

He did return and handed a small vial to Lupin.

"Here you are!" snorted Snape. "But I told you he did it wrong."

"I believe it worked right. It destroyed the charms that concealed his true appearance."

Snape almost laughed. "Poor, Lupin, poor! Veritasvidi does not negate any concealing charms or potions. It allows you to look through this charms and potions. If it's brewed by a good potions master it even allows you to see a wizard's true aura when he took Polyjuice potion.

"But the negation of the concealing charms cannot be simply the result of a wrong potion. I think the snitch worked as a catalyst. Well, not really as a catalyst as it lost some of his magic."

Everyone around looked at the snitch on the bedside table flapping his wings wearily and clearly not able to fly anymore. Snape rolled his eyes when he realised that no one was aware of the definition of a catalyst.

Remus eyed Harry's new appearance.

"So, you told him?" asked Remus and turned to Snape.

"I? I told him nothing!" answered Snape. "What should I have told him?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about!" Remus voice was dangerously calm.

"I do not know, werewolf!" answered Snape. "I do not know what you are talking about."

"I believe it would be the best for you to leave now," urged Dumbledore softly and guided the Gryffindor Quidditch team and Hermione to the exit.

"But headmaster!" begged Hermione. "Perhaps he needs…"

"I'm sure that Mr. Potter will inform you about everything if he thinks that it is necessary. You may visit him in the evening again. Until then, be certain of his well-being."

Dumbledore closed the door and turned to the teachers and the boy.

"You never told him the truth about his mother then? About Lily and you? I thought it should be about time now, Severus?" asked McGonagall.

"Lily and me?" gasped Snape and his expression softened for the blink of an eye. "There never was anything about Lily and me. She left school and ran to Potter. There never was anything about Lily and me!"

"I believe that you should tell them, dear boy!" pointed the headmaster out.

"You still believe that we do not know what the two of you did? Sweet Jesus, that was so obvious! At the marriage…" joined Madam Hooch into the conversation.

"He was there?" roared Harry.

"No!" gasped Snape, rather an order to stop the blabbering teachers than a answer to Harry.

"Later on when Harry was born and before Lily and James went into hiding…" began McGonagall.

"Stop it!" bellowed the potions master.

Harry never before had heard such an intense order. The two words carried all of Snape's feelings, if there were some of them.

"Severus, you have to admit the truth!" pointed Remus out.

"I told you to stop, Moony! Stop this silly… this silly 'conversation'!" spat Snape out. "You don't know anything, do you? HE is Potter's! Haven't you realised HE is Potter's? She lied to me, betrayed me!" Snape pointed at Harry and Remus smiled at Snape.

"You might not have recognized it yet, but Harry doesn't look like James anymore, does he?"

"She betrayed me, Moony! She betrayed me!" said Snape in a faint voice.

* * *

**rosiegirl** - I'm sorry for the break, but I promise that I couldn't just stop the story here.

kaelindarkstar - I'm so sorry, but my life really is hell. I try to update very soon!

**athenakitty** -  
1. Headache?  
2. Yes and not really.  
3. No and yes. It wasn't only the potion, but the Snitch worked as a catalyst. And yes, the prophecy means him. At least, now it stilldoes!

**Shadowed Hand** - As you have read, not really. It makesone see through glamouries but it doesn't lift the charms casted on oneself (but... you know, Harry isn't very good in potions). And apparently it was the Snitch.

**Adenara Yatman** - I'll take that as a compliment!

**moonypadfoot** - Because it wasn't the Bludger, it was the Snitch and the wrong potion. I'll update as soon as possible.

**Connie Eressea** - No... Snape being ill isn't important. It's just... something I came up with. Just for fun.

**Lydia Blue** - Well, sorry. I wanted to put the answers to your questions in this chapter but it didn't really fit in here. And I haven't figured out all about the prophecy yet.

**Tabitha78** - Of course I will go on. And I have a great idea for the future of both Snapes. It will be evil... and mean... muahahahaha!


	5. The tale of the lost son

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, non of them. I haven't even Original Characters in these. Not now.

**A/N:** I am sorry for not writing for so long. The end of the last year was straining and full of tests at school and I had this chapter almost finished, but there was a part missing. Well, I hope you enjoy it!

**HAPPY NEW 2005!!!**

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**Chapter 05 – The tale of the lost son…**

"What?" shrieked Harry. "What happened between my Mum and _him_?"

"Harry…" began Remus but the teen wouldn't listen to him.

"What have you done, bastard?" he screamed.

Snape only flinched slightly, his face perfectly blank.

Remus walked towards Harry and tried to calm the boy. His eyes were flickering nervously, now and then he fixed his vision on one of the teachers. "Leave me alone, Lupin! Go, leave me… go!"

Remus sadly looked at him. Why couldn't he just accept it?

"How… what should I have told him? That I married her? That 'Potter' wasn't her true name? That she was a married Snape? That he was the product of a escapade of his mother?" Severus snorted. "Dear Harry, I hate you because your father was the worst traitor I ever knew! You thought Pettigrew was bad, have look at Potter's CV…"

Remus grew angry. "YOU BIGOTS! Why can't you just understand and accept it? Everybody can, just the two of you are constantly running against the wall of ignorance!"

"WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT IT?" screamed Snape in sudden rage, his face a horrible grimace of pain and despair.

"She told my, Severus. Three weeks after the marriage she told me she was pregnant. She cried and asked me to bring you back," whispered Lupin.

Snape's face turned unreadable.

"Why would she want me at her side? She had married Potter. Damn him. He stole her from my very hands." Severus clenched his fists as if he could catch hold of Lily now. "She had married him, she had loved him. The only thing was left for me was her scoff and scorn. It almost died when I heard about the boy being born and – I knew she had betrayed me and it killed me then. Do you know how deep and dark this abyss I was falling in was?"

The teacher sat down on a chair and hid his face in his hands.

"But I don't blame her as much as I blame James and as I blame Dumbledore and you! James stole her, Dumbledore send me so far away and you didn't do anything to prevent any of both. You are a god-awful best friend, werewolf! You fucked up utterly."

Snape blocked everything around him, except from Lupin, out.

"I'm sorry, Severus. But you don't know the whole truth!"

"I'm perfectly right!" bellowed Snape, "Once I hoped and prayed and pleaded that the child was mine – once I believed in the purity of her vow. But then I saw the picture of them. _His_ arms laid around Lily, my love, my life - god damn it, _his_ arms laid around my wife! And the child in her arms just looked like him. There were no traits of me in his face. The only thing I recognized were Lily's eyes. Her eyes on _his_ son." Snape's voice was weak and it sounded like he had relinquished everything a long time ago.

"What the hell is going on here?" screamed Harry. "Would you care to tell me what you are talking about? I don't understand anything!"

"Harry, you have to know that your mother did not marry James Potter, not really."

Remus caught Severus eyes.

"She married me. At least I believed that she married me, then."

Harry shook his head at his teachers' bewildering statements.

"Harry, we had to pretend that Lily married James. You have to know that in wizarding world not the marriage contract is important but the magical bond between the bride and the groom. When Voldemort began to have really serious powers we thought it might best to shed the rumours about Lily and a certain Death Eater. Severus broke up with Lily and called her horrible names but Lily certainly wasn't inferior. Everyone believed it and Voldemort was extremely adulterated when he was informed that Severus had pledged his allegiance to the Dark Lord in front of the 'mudblood' and told her that he was looking forward to be her executioner once it was her turn to be judged by the one and only rightful heirs to the title of being wizards."

Harry glared at the potions master. "You filthy bastard!"

Severus snorted. "Listen before you judge my words."

"Yes, because he never meant them, Harry. Lily pretended to turn towards James," said Lupin.

"The glorious Auror to be!" interjected Snape in a voice full of pain.

"Actually she never did," explained Lupin, glancing at Severus. "But after two months of an intense 'love affair' they announced that they would marry soon. As I said before, it's not the signature on a parchment that seals the lawful marriage between a wizard and a witch but the magic bond that is established during the highly magic ceremony.

"And so it happened that it wasn't James who attended the marriage as bride groom, but Severus in the appearance of James. It was very easy for him to brew a good Polyjuice potion. After the ceremony he changed places with James and waited for his wife in the little cottage where Lily and her new husband would spend their honeymoon. James would stay with them to conceal everything."

Remus sighed heavily.

"I was summoned by Dumbledore after only two days and just after I was back at her side the Dark Lord 'asked' for my company. I think she already turned to _him_ then."

"She didn't, Severus. She never did."

"And how does it come that she gave birth to _his_ child?" asked a furious potions master. "You don't believe in virginally conception, do you?"

"You thumb and utter idiot! She never gave birth to James' child!" roared Lupin annoyed with the bigotry his once best friend was cursed with. "He is _your_ child, moron!"

Harry's lips twitched with a smile and then he laughed out loud. "Damn good, damn good, Lupin! This was such a good explanation that one might actually believe it!"

"I wasn't kidding, Harry," answered Remus with a serious voice.

"Oh, come on! What's coming next? I'm Voldie's long lost brother?"

Remus expression didn't change and he remained as silent as Snape.

"You have to be kidding, Lupin, you HAVE TO!" Harry began to feel uneasy. "TELL ME YOU WERE KIDDING!" screamed Harry with tears in his eyes.

"Remus, that's nothing to crack jokes about!" demanded Snape. He had risen from his chair but sunk back and hid his face with his hands once again. "Oh god, that changes everything!"

"No, it doesn't!" shrieked Harry in a high-pitched voice.

"Oh god – I have to reconsider everything."

"You don't have to reconsider everything, sir, because nothing changed!" demanded Harry mournfully.

"I'm not excited about all this, Mr. Potter, not at all. And even though it's none of your business I daresay that I would have appreciated it if this all had been a joke. But I believe Remus words and it changes the way we have to look at a certain prediction. Not the one you made, but one that clearly is referring to you is now to be seen in a completely different context!"

"Severus, I do think this affects Harry as well!"

Harry began to shiver.

"The lost son," Snape whispered.

And Harry ran…

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**rosiegirl** -whee! I updated, I updated!

**ShadowedHand** - He won't be hysterical very long, but Harry will have a good time taking over that part. If it's going to be okay... I cannot answer that one right now. The story has a tendency to go dark inthecoming chapters.

**moonypadfoot** - Hope you will go on reading though!

**Chainmailgrl** - hopefully I will be able to unfold all the mysteries I built.

**Harrypfan001 TEACHERLADY **(Impressing nickname!)- Alright, I updated, I updated!

**Adenara Yatman** - Thanks.

**Tourmaline20** - Althought the review was posted at the wrong story, I will of course answer it!  
I think it was stupid to let Snape being ill. There is no purpse in Snape being ill, not yet and perhaps never!  
Perhaps I'm going to let it being the reason for a shorter attention span but we will see!

**What happens in the next chapters:** Memories of the past and Harry running...


	6. Memories

**A/N:** Whew, no proper inspiration, I guess. Intentionally Snape should be reflecting about the past, but… it turned out different.

ANY SEV/LILY-OPPOSERS SHOULDN'T READ THIS!

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**Chapter 06 – Memories**

Severus sat on the soft rug in front of the fire with a glass of red wine in his hand. Lily entered the room giggling. Severus looked up and descried the cause of her laughter.

"Come on, Lils! You certainly don't have to be nervous. He is already waiting for you!" encouraged Remus Lupin a slightly flushed Lily.

"Moony. What brings you here my friend?" Severus put down his glass and rose to greet his friend. They hugged and Severus smiled at Lily.

"Good evening, my mistress! It's such a delight to see you again. I'm your devoted servant."

Lily giggled once again when he knelt down in front of her. "Oh sweetheart! I felt lonely this afternoon."

"So did I," whispered Severus as he rose. "I missed you more than I would have missed the air to breath."

Remus smiled. "When the two of you are done with your romantic dash?"

"Of course," smiled Severus and guided them to the sofa. "Do you want something to drink? Lily, Remus?"

"I just have a minute, Severus," explained Lupin. "We thought it might be easier to bring Lily first. James is taking care of Sirius now and later on I will try to withhold him from coming here."

"I think he would kill you if he knew, Sev!" whispered Lily towards her husband. Severus laid his arms around his frail wife and smiled at her.

"I think I'd better go now or James might get into some danger. I'll find my way out."

"Good bye Remus and thank you for everything!" smiled Snape.

"Everyone else would have done the same for you," answered Remus and left.

Lily dropped against her husband's body and groaned with relief. "It was horrible! They wanted to take even more photos after you left. I felt like a traitor when I pretended to be happy with James. It felt so odd to have to kiss him. Disgusting!" she giggled

Severus laughed and fastened the grip around his wife's body. "I'm so happy to have you back!"

She smiled at her husband and softly pressed her lips on his.

"Uhm… Bordeaux… certainly better than this nasty taste of Polyjuice," whispered Lily when the kiss deepened.

"You wanted to marry me! And you agreed to the Polyjuice!" whispered Severus excited.

"Hmm – Indeed, I did! And that with a reason! After all you agreed to a fake marriage and with James Potter. You are the most forgiving man I ever met."

"Who said that I forgave him? I just allowed him to take care of you when I cannot be there for you!" Severus said with faked surprise.

"Well, you trust him with your wife. That does tell a lot about how much you trust him or how high you value me!" giggled Lily.

Suddenly they heard how the front door was opened and a very inebriated Sirius Black shouted advice to James Potter. The door was shut and it was silent in the cottage.

"That man certainly is crazy!" exclaimed James when he came to the living room. "Well, everything alright with you? I think I'll go to bed, don't be too loud, will you?"

Lily giggled when James left the room and picked at Severus sleeve. "Well, let's keep him awake, shall we?"

The Potions Master frowned for a moment and grinned at the witch in his arms. "Nasty little thingy you are!"

---

Everything had gone wrong. Severus lit the paper and although he always did, this time he felt a grim pleasure when the flames consumed the paper.

Didn't Moony recognize how much it would hurt him?

The Death Eater stared at the picture in his hands and threw it onto the pile of burning paper.

His life was over, his heart had died.

No, he wouldn't give imbecile Potter the pleasure to break down.

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Short, I know… don't kill me for that…

The next chapter will be about Harry and Snape, I promise

Reviews will be answered in the next chapter. Give me some time...


	7. Can somebody tell me who I am?

**A/N:** I'm completely lost… somehow… aw, I don't even care. Just another insomniac night, just another endless fight… -sighs-

Go on, enjoy chapter 7. I know it's short, but I tried my very best.

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**Chapter 07 – Can somebody tell me who I am?**

Harry ran from the Infirmary. He gave a damn on the teachers screaming after him. No, he would run away and never come back.

Later on he could not remember how long he had run. When he lay coughing and panting on the cold wet floor, he found himself deep in the Forbidden Forest. He did not care.

He wanted to run on, to be lost in the forest, to never be found again.

He tried to push himself up.

His legs were trembling violently and he collapsed on the floor again. He was angry with himself and after some other attempts to stand up he broke down sobbing and crying. He curled up and the cold rain washed over his face.

It was already dark when Harry felt strong hands seizing his shoulders and shaking him.

"Don't!" called someone and two other hands grasped his shoulders more gently.

"Harry? Are you alright? Boy come on, answer me!"

"Leave me!" croaked Harry and turned his head away from the intruders of his silent realm. "Go away… all of you…"

Someone lifted him up and for a moment he thought of resistance. But he knew that it would be futile.

Harry kept his eyes closed and tried to bite back his tears when he once again felt the hard covers of the hospital bed under his body. This world was unfair.

First it took away his godfather and then his identity.

"Well, I think I shall go now."

Remus grabbed Severus' shoulder. "No. Stay with him. I'm sure he will understand all of it. He is a clever boy, Sev!"

"Well, dearest werewolf, even if he ever would understand, he doesn't accept me. That's a fact." With these words the Potions Master left the ward.

The next days held huge surprises for Hermione, Ron and the other students.

Snape went on sabbatical while Harry hid in the ward.

The teen allowed no one to see him and pulled the blanket over his head every time someone approached his bed. He knew that he had to accept the nurse, but he wouldn't tolerate anyone else.

Even Dumbledore, or especially Dumbledore, was ignored totally. Harry didn't listen to anything the 'old fool' said.

Hermione and Ron were confused by these actions. They tried to reach their friend but every letter was returned unopened, as well as every parcel they tried to send to him.

Finally there was only one solution left for them. And so, one day when the Potions Master was back at Hogwarts the two Gryffindors stayed after the lesson.

"Professor Snape?"

"What?" snapped Severus.

"I… I have a qu… a question about Harry. Do you know anything about his state?"

They must be desperate if they asked him for help.

"I don't know anything about Mr Potter's current situation. You should ask himself, or the headmaster. I'm sure the old man cannot stand your huge pleading eyes, Granger."

"Harry is hiding in the hospital wing. And no teacher would talk about it!" asked Ron.

"Well, why should I tell you then?"

"You never hesitated to stultify Harry!" exclaimed Hermione. "Sir"

"Well… I cannot tell you. This is something between Potter and me. He, however, may tell you anything you want to know and whatever he is willing to tell you."

Snape was about to walk away when Hermione shouted one last pleading "Professor!"

Severus turned around. Well, even when these huge pleading eyes did not affect Dumbledore, they did affect Severus in some way.

"He is not in a good mood. He… found out about something what he did not like very much."

"What about his changes? I know that he changed very much during the summer but what happened during the game was awful!" said Ron.

"He… already changed during the summer?"

_Stupid, you never paid much attention to him, you remember?_ Snape thought to himself.

"I can see if I can talk to him…"

-

"Potter – Harry?"

They had said that he was Snape's child. But Snape had refused to call him any other than Harry Potter.

"What?"

Harry had nothing to lose…

"We are worried about you."

"We? You mean 'them'!"

"You don't have to try to provoke me! I'm not falling for it."

"You are the teacher…"

He hadn't got to gain anything either…

"Potter! What's wrong?"

The boy snorted. "Don't you see it, sir? It's obvious, isn't it?"

Harry lifted his head and turned towards Snape. The Potions Master looked into the exact replica of himself at the age of sixteen.

Apart from the emerald eyes, darkened with emotions.

The urge to stroke the boy's cheek carefully welled up in Severus, but he desperately tried to remain stoic outside.

"Come on, Potter!" sneered Snape almost lovingly. "Can't be that bad, can it?"

"It can be!" replied Harry harsh. "Leave me! Go and fuck yourself, Snape!"

Well, Severus could cope with much, especially considering the circumstances. But he hadn't been too pleased about all of this, too.

"Potter!" he began warningly.

"Hell, there is no POTTER in this room!" screamed the teen suddenly.

Harry broke down on his bed, his head buried in his hands.

* * *

Aw… the reviews from chapter 5! Alright, this is going to be even a longer night. I'm sorry! 

**Adenara Yatman** – No there isn't, at least not for Harry.

**rosiegirl** – Thanks.

**duj** – Thanks for the reminder. Sometimes I forget even the obvious ones.

**Thabita78** – Geez, that would be grand! But only if you really want this. I don't want to bother you.

**moonypadfoot** – Sorry, really so awful sorry! But you know, kinda writers block grabbed me and smashed me against the wall, hard.

**DarkDarkAngel** – -pokesintheside- still alive there? Again, I'm so sorry for not updating so long!

**ShadowedHand** – Not happy at all. My writing sucks somehow. But I'll try harder now.

**IrisOwens** – Here you are!

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Can you forgive me and write a review? I'm going to update soon. I have a good idea for the next chapter. Harry has to struggle with his faith and can't hide any longer.


	8. Only a visitor

**A/N:** This chapter was work! I had the idea ages ago, but now I actually had to write it down. Although I had a lot of inspiration after that reply I received to the fanletter I wrote ages ago...

PLEASE, GO AND HAVE A LOOK AT THE **POLL** I PUT SO YOU COULD DECIDE **WHICH STORY YOU WANT TO READ NEXT**!  
The link can be found in my Biography. Have a look and vote for your favourite!

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**Chapter 08 – Only a visitor**

Everyone assured Harry that they knew how bad he felt, but the young wizard only snorted.

They forced him to attend lessons again. They certainly didn't know _how_ bad he felt.

"Harry, if you stop attending your lessons without any proper reason, we will have to expel you!" had the headmaster said. As if being your archenemy's son wasn't a proper reason.

Harry soon had worked out how he could hide his face by constantly looking downwards.

"Mr Potter, could you pay attention to my lesson? Or is your attention span to short to follow my instructions?" sneered Snape during the Potions class.

"Of course, Professor!" answered Harry, not looking up. "Of course, _Professor_!"

Snape didn't bother to go with the natural teasing. He couldn't stand to see the boy there, reminding him so much of himself at that age.

Harry looked up a bit. Snape wasn't as lunch. And so Harry stood up and wandered through the corridors.

Who cared about what the others thought. The only one who had some kind of control over Harry (even if it only was based in Snape's ability to annoy the shit out of Harry) was Snape.

Harry quickly hid behind some pillar when he saw familiar black billowing robes at the end of the hallway.

"Odd," Harry thought. "Normally Snape never goes outside, or so it seems!"

And thus the boy decided to follow the hatred teacher.

Snape headed to Hogsmead, or at least in the vague direction of the wizarding village.

Harry followed the teacher on the heels, yet with enough of a distance between them to ensure that Snape wouldn't hear him or accidentally catch a glimpse of him when he tried to duck behind a stone, a bush or something else.

And then they seemed to reach Snape's destination.

A graveyard.

Curiously Harry followed the wizard to a rather isolated part of the graveyard. There was a row of trees and Snape slipped through one of the larger gaps between them.

Harry knelt down and pulled softly at some branch to have a better look.

Snape knelt down in front of two Gravestones and placed a beautiful bunch of flowers in front of the one of them.

"Hey you. Sorry, I was busy. Yeah, perhaps I should have dropped in at some weekend, I know, but things got a bit out of hand. I… wish I would have had the time or the peace to visit you. Hope you can understand me.

"And… and I needed time to think about everything and anything. No, don't worry (a soft chuckle escaped him) I'm alright. Nothing I couldn't handle. But it is Harry I am worried about. I'm sorry that I didn't… that I believed that you betrayed me. I am more than happy that you didn't. But Harry isn't taking it well.

"I love you, Lils! Ow, you can't possibly imagine how much. And I guess… I owe you an apology, both of you. I'm very, very sorry for all the hate I held all those years. Lily, love, and James, my friend!"

And then Harry couldn't hold back anymore. He jumped through the gap between the trees in front of him.

"You knew that they were here!"

Snape turned but didn't look surprised.

"Yes, I demanded for them to be buried here!" he said in a calm voice.

"And you never told me!" shrieked Harry, angry at Snape and himself. Why had he never asked where his parents… where his mother and James had been buried?

The Potions master growled and glared at the teen. "Yes, because I didn't want you to worship the great James Potter!"

"Who told you that I would have?"

"The light in your eyes when one spoke of him, the passionate hate in your eyes when I spoke of him. Your eyes betray you. Everyone can tell from them that you are Lily's child. And everyone can tell what you are feeling when they look into these amazing depths."

"Then I don't have to tell you, what I'm currently feeling!" hissed Harry.

Severus reached out and softly stroked the boy's cheek. Harry jerked but didn't want to accidentally break the piercing look he believed he held the man with.

"Who am I?" demanded Harry. "I'm currently no one. Tell me who I am!"

Raindrops began to fall from the slate grey sky and still neither of them moved.

Finally Snape pulled the boy into his arms.

Harry blushed and was to surprised to react at first. When his senses finally returned to him, he screamed and pushed away from Snape.

The raindrops were falling faster and harder and more of them were falling now.

Harry stood there, his head, for once, held upright and his face fully visible.

Raindrops were running down his face, his nose, his cheekbones, gathering at his chin, then running down his neck into his collar.

"Please Harry!"

"NO!" screamed the boy. "NO! YOU BETRAYED ME! ALL OF YOU BETRYED ME!"

Snape had no choice but to agree. If he only had listened to Remus and had read the letters Lily had wrote to him! He had failed the boy.

Harry jumped back trough the row of trees, not caring of the trees stood closer than others and that the fir needles and twigs scraped him.

He didn't care for anything. He just needed to get away from this warped scenery.

Everything was wrong!

Snape!

SNAPE!

Snape…?

Suddenly Harry felt two arms grasping him. Holding him a firm hug.

"NO!" screamed Harry. "I HATE YOU! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Snape pulled his son closer, one arm across the boy's chest and keeping the boy's arms in place, and the teachers other arm firm around the boy's waist.

"Still!" hissed Snape and rocked Harry. "Please trust me!"

The teen began to whisper no's just to shut the loving words out, to forget where he was, and why and with whom.

He hoped that the rain could and would wash away all the pain and knowledge, but it didn't matter how desperate he turned his face towards the sky and it didn't matter how hard the rain was falling on his face, the pain and the knowledge remained.

He began to cry, ragged sobs escaping his throat. "No! Nooooo!"

"Shhh!" whispered Snape and placed his chin on Harry's shoulder.

The teen obviously had no more control over his legs. Snape held his son and sank to the ground with him. He gathered the limp body in his arms and pulled him closer.

Harry continued crying. Eventually he calmed down a bit and when he realized in which position he was, he fought the hold. Snape was surprised and so Harry could escape his grasp.

Snape couldn't do anything, he just knelt there and stared after Harry who ran back to Hogwarts. He didn't even realize he was wet all over and that the rain already was ceasing.

An elderly woman sighed. "It's hard to accept a loss. Give him time!"

"It's not a loss he is mourning about. It's his newly found father," stated Snape.

The woman eyed the teacher cautiously and then decided to not further elaborate on the topic.

* * *

FIFTY REVIEWS! THANK YOU!

**jwulee** - As if I ever could stop!

**rosiegirl** - Great to hear that. I'm trying to keep it that way!

**Meris** - Really working on it. Really hard.

**Adenara Yatman** - I'll celebrate the day I recieve another review like that for chapter 5!

**moonypadfoot** - sorry, this isn't any longer than the last chapter. Somehow I can't get anything fixed between the begining and the beginning of the interesting part of the story.

**Crazy-Physco** - Glad you like it!

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**_What's on the next chapter:_** Honestly, I don't know. Lot of conflict I guess.


	9. Everything goes wrong

**A/N:** Well, poor Harry… I guess…  
I just had a horrible day. Got an A in English, not that that would matter, it's just boring. And then I stormed out of our mediators' meeting. We are trying to solve problems pupils in our school have with each other but how are we supposed to do so if we are arguing all the time? Guess I would have explained my outburst like that if I wouldn't have been on the verge of tears.

Remember the poll. It'll stay up until Friday! I have 8 votes so far... 2 for "The Serpents Child" and 6 for "Calling of the Shadows". This makes me wonder... as far as I can judge, "Calling of the Shadows" has the worst excerpt... save "Taching DADA" which has none...

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**Chapter 09 – Everything goes wrong**

Harry Potter returned to the Common Room. He was panting, wet all over and had a haunted look.

"Hey mate!" called Ron and waved at Harry. For the lack of any better idea, Harry walked over to his two best friends sitting on a couch in a corner of the room.

"You missed Herbology!" admonished Hermione. "And Potions!"

"Good thing that Snape missed it as well!" added Ron.

Harry lowered his head and his hair hang in wild strands in his face. "I know…"

"Harry, you look horrible!" sighed Hermione and cast a drying spell. "Go and lay down before dinner!"

Harry shook his head. "No, I don't think it will be necessary!"

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Ron. "You look a bloody mess, mate! Go and rest a bit!"

xox

When Harry woke he had missed dinner.

He was alone in the dormitory and had a quick glance at himself in the mirror to make sure that he didn't look like Snape and walked down the stairs to the Common Room.

Hermione and Ron occupied the same couch they had occupied in the afternoon and were arguing about something. Or were they agreeing on something? It was hard to tell with the two of them.

"Hey Harry!" called Ron and waved at him.

"Hey mate," replied Harry tiredly. He sat down next to Hermione and sighed.

"Had a nice nap?"

Harry nodded.

"Feel better?"

"A bit!"

"Perhaps you should see Madam Pomfrey?"

"Definitely not!" exclaimed Harry and stared at his boots.

"We have been thinking…" started Ron.

"Really?" teased Harry half-heartedly. "Must have been a shock for you…"

"We have been thinking about the prophecy. And how well it fits you!"

"It does not," sighed the black-haired teen. "It merely is a bad poem, a very bad poem, if you ask me!"

"They said that the prophecy was made before?" asked Hermione. "Taranee… Taranee LaPlace, I guess it was!"

"I don't know… don't remember… But it does not fit me or my current situation. That's your imagination, you know!"

"_When the times are going to turn_," said Ron.

"You have to admit that something is changing with Snape!" said Hermione.

"_When the nameless evil is on its peak_," quipped the red-head.

"Voldemort gained power in the last months."

"Nonsense!" threw Harry in.

"_And when the boy will be a man_," Ron sighed. "Come on, even you have to admit that you don't look like the sickly small boy you where anymore. Okay, you look sickly but not like a small boy anymore!"

Harry lowered his head even more. Hermione laid her arms around the boy and pulled him close. Harry tried to fight the hug, but somehow his body decided that he _needed_ the contact. He groaned quietly and buried his face at Hermione's shoulder.

He would not cry, he would not cry!

Ron softly padded his back and mumbled nonsense.

"Haven't you got it by now? The Prophecy isn't about me!" he crocked, only to keep himself from crying.

"It is! It is about Harry Potter, it is about the Harry Potter you are now!"

"You were only part seer when you made this prophecy and this made it possible for you to remember it! It doesn't take a genius to find out that you are not born as Harry Potter! Perhaps the seer-trait was suppressed and a part of you remembered it as if it had been a dream! I've read about adopted wizards who…"

Harry lifted himself up and scowled at Hermione. "You hated Divination. And still you know all the facts. What an utter waste of time and brain cells!"

Ron smacked Harry over the head. "Hey! You may be right but you don't tell her!"

"Well, have you finally found out that you have a crush on her?" sneered Harry. "About bloody time! Isn't it rich, the two of you spend most of your time together and still haven't figured out that you should rather go and shag, instead of annoying the hell out of everyone in the room with your constant bickering!"

Hermione bit her lower lip and Ron glared at Harry.

"I never thought that anybody could annoy me more than Draco Malfoy does, but you are damn close, Harry Potter!"

The black-haired teen deliberated for a moment before he lifted his head.

"Fuck you, Ron Weasley!" he spit out and ran for his life.

xox

It really wasn't Harry Potter's lucky day, you could guess. And it doesn't take a Hermione to guess whom, according to Murphy's law, he would meet roaming the school.

Actually the school was big enough that you could avoid meeting anybody at night, if you knew some of the secret passageways.

Alas, Harry had no such luck that night.

And even if someone could argue that Harry's sub consciousness had chosen this path because he wanted to be found – and perhaps even wanted to be found by that particular person – Harry would disagree with fiery passion.

To be straightforward, Harry Potter literally bounced into Severus Snape, who was patrolling the hallways on the sixth floor.

It was a dark hallway with a dusty red carpet and he didn't hear the approaching teacher's steps, as well as Snape didn't hear the student's steps.

Harry was thrown back and barely remained on his feet and Snape needed a moment to straighten himself again.

"Out of bed after curfew and not paying attention. _Fifty_ points from…"

Snape looked up and met his son's defiant gaze.

"Say it already… Fifty points from _Gryffindor_!"

Snape frowned. "What are you doing out here after curfew?"

"Walking, and yourself?" groaned Harry. "Take the points and send me back to my dormitory so we can get over this!"

"I have a better idea!" sneered Snape.

"What? Some fluffy father-son activity? Going to the zoo, or to the cinema? Going to read me a bedtime story?" growled the teen.

"Actually I wanted to talk to you! But only if you feel capable of speech, of course!"

A low growl escaped Harry's throat. "Then we speak. Start."

"Follow me!"

They began to long track towards the dungeons and Harry thought about escaping to the Gryffindor Common Room but a quick glance at his watch showed him that it was not even ten o'clock. He would most certainly meet Hermione and Ron and he felt that he couldn't face them for quite some time.

"Sit!" ordered Snape when they arrived at his office. "Tea?"

"No, thank you," he pressed out and added below his breath, "I'd rather die of thirst!"

Snape placed a cup of tea in front of Harry and leaned back in his chair.

"So… I've been thinking…"

"I've heard this sentence before and I don't even want to know which conclusions you drew, _sir_!"

"Angry with your friends then, I suppose? Well, I have been thinking about the prophecy and what it means."

"That's it, I'll go! There is not one damned sentence in that prophecy that is fitting me!"

Snape cocked one eyebrow and then glared at the rising Harry.

"SIT DOWN!" he bellowed angrily. "And drink your tea!"

Harry looked defiant but did what he was ordered to. Perhaps this would end sooner if he obeyed Snape.

"So, I think that the prophecy is fitting you!"

"How can you be sure that I didn't make it up? Perhaps I heard of the prophecy and then decided to be a little miracle boy once again?" sneered Harry. "Perhaps it was made up in the first place. You never know…"

Snape leaned forward and pressed his fingertips together. "I know it wasn't made up and I know that you didn't make it up. As I said, there is a certain other prediction referring to the lost son and it refers to you. I do not have a doubt about it!"

"To hell with all those predictions and prophecies and whatsoever!"

"Harry!" hissed the Potions master and the boy wondered how anybody could hiss a word without any S in it, but the teacher made a fair good job at it. "I know it's true because you have the Gift. You inherited it from your grandmother, Taranee Snape!"

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**Meris** - Thank you! I fear I'm going to blush!

**Tabitha78** - I guess the elderly woman is just an elderly woman... you happen to find elderly women on graveyards you know? And who said that Snape and Harry would get along? And the thought of another Harry Potter gives me headaches.

**moonypadfoot** - Happy you liked it. I did as well.

**jwulee** - Here you are! Have fun!

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**_What's on the next chapter:_** Dunno. Have to think about that today!


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